Comeback a theme as four more teams open Reinforced bids

Day 2 of the return of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference will feature squads that know all about comebacks.

For Petro Gazz, it is the return to full health, which has the squad basking in the optimism of repeating an upset championship victory over Creamline during the 2019 Finals, the last time imports saw action in the PVL.

“It’s been a long time [since the 2019 finals],” said Petro Gazz coach Rald Ricafort. “In those three years, we have changed rosters three times. But we’ll still try to get the championship.”

The Angels will be parading American outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide and a roster of locals now free from injuries that have bogged the Angels in previous conferences: Myla Pablo, Grethcel Soltones, Jonah Sabete, Aiza Pontillas and MJ Phillips will form the team core along with a new acquisition in Marian Buitre.

Petro Gazz’s opponent in the 5:30 p.m. match on Tuesday at PhilSports Arena, Choco Mucho, will celebrate a comeback of its own as prized middle blocker Maddie Madayag returns to action after being sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her left knee last year.

Choco Mucho has been tagged as one of the favorites in the tournament, with Uzbek-Azerbaijani Odina Aliyeva reinforcing their campaign.

At 2:30 p.m. comebacking squad F2 Logistics battles Chery Tiggo, which hopes for a return to glory in this tournament.

The Cargo Movers, who finished sixth in the Open Conference, took a leave of absence in the recent Invitational conference. Long a powerhouse in the local volleyball scene, F2 Logistics will bring back old reliable Lindsay Stalzer and star Kalei Mau, bolstering a squad that already boasts top-shelf talents in Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, Dawn Macandili, Dzi Gervacio, Kim Fajardo, Joy Baron and Kim Dy.

Chery Tiggo, whose local core consists of Dindin Manabat, EJ Laure and Mylene Paat, have signed Montenegrin Jelena Cvijovic for additional firepower.

F2 Logistics coach Benson Bocboc, in fact, is wary of the Crossovers, who beat Creamline in the Open Conference of the league’s inaugural pro staging in Ilocos Norte last year.

“They have had many changes, especially in the middle, but their key players are still there,” Bocboc said. “Then there’s their import. And whatever we do against them, we’ll have to do it in real time because we haven’t seen them play yet so it’s only during our match that we will be making adjustments.”